1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to bows for archery and hunting. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved arrow rest for use with such bows.
2. Description of the Related Art
Archery bows of the long bow, re-curve, compound and other types typically include a handle, above which is located a shelf and side wall. The shelf and side wall cooperate to define a window within which the arrow rests and is ejected from the bow. To minimize the deflection of the arrow as it passes through this window, and to thus improve the accuracy of the bow, various spring biased arrow rests have been proposed. Examples of such rests are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,865,096, 3,935,854, 4,332,232, 4,398,528, 4,489,704 and 4,838,237.
While such devices are serviceable, they typically include a biasing means in the form of an exterior spring to allow the arrow support members to deflect away from the arrow. The exterior placement of such springs allows them to be open to the elements and deterioration, and also posses the possibility of foreign objects such as stones or clothing will become lodged within the coils of the springs, interfering with the deflection of the support members.
One commercially available arrow rest is known to avoid the exterior placement of the spring. In this arrangement the arrow support members are mounted on a shaft which is received within a cylinder. The other end of this cylinder is mounted for rotation within a bracket. A coil spring is mounted on the exterior of the cylinder and within a receiving hole in the bracket, and includes one end fixed to the cylinder and a second end fixed to the bracket. While this arrangement provides a shelter for the spring, the cylinder receiving hole in the mounting bracket and the cylinder itself define limits upon the amount of change in the spring diameter caused by torsion. This limits the range of pressure which may be applied to the arrow support members.
Another problem associated with previous arrow rests is the cantilevered nature of the cylinder or other rotary element which carry the arrow support members. This cantilevered arrangement causes the weight of the arrow, arrow support members and cylinder to create a moment force at the single rotary connection of the cylinder to the mounting bracket of the rest. Such a moment is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, and as such causes a certain amount of binding in the rotation. This binding amount changes with wear upon the rotary connection, such that the arrow support members require a different force for movement, even at the same tension setting.
Additionally, various arrow support members have been proposed, and examples are shown in the above noted patents. However, it would be desirable to provide arrow support members which may be easily and reliably adjusted to various positions for different arrow types.